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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Speaking of random Hot Wheels Super finds...

Well, that was fun...

The scalping article yesterday spurred a few comments, to say the least. It got a little ugly at times, and it seemed that no one was spared at least a little vitriol, but lost in some of that were some great comments about all aspects of the hunt, whether they like how collectors like Joe hunt or not. And whether you like Joe or not, I give him credit for working with me on the piece, considering he knew more than a few darts would be thrown his way. And yikes, they kept coming.

I think it is totally fair to not like what Joe aka @diecast_hunter does. Whether I am for what he does or not, it doesn't really matter. It surely is not for ME to do it that way. There will always be folks who have the desire and time to create a strategy, head out at night, and hit as many stores as they can. And we can't control what they do with those models. Anyone can do it, if they want to create a schedule conducive to it. Right or wrong, that is part of the hobby, and I thought it would be worth exploring. I think it was.

But I hope everyone read far enough to see that I am much more in favor of the random find. I personally think it is more fun. I don't have the time, nor have the desire, to do a series of overnight hunts. I don't want to know when bins hit. Supers are not remotely worth that time or effort in my opinion. I like stopping into a store and coming across that surprise find. It makes it fun, and not at all a task.

Having said that, how strange was it that on the day I talked about my preferred method of hunting vs the "scalping" method, that I walk into a random Dollar Tree in Heber, Utah, and find pegs that look like this:

And after looking down the first column and up the second, in the second-to-last row I discover this:

A random Super find! Only my second Super find of 2016, and a mere 4 days after my first find of 2016, a green Dodge Daytona at a rural Utah Walmart.

And it is the Acura NSX, one that I have wanted to find and thought that window had closed. I have one that I was able to acquire from a friend for the loose collection, but this one is just a little sweeter since I found it in the store. And plus, I don't open the store-found Supers, because I like to document where, when, and how I found it.

And this one is a sweet one. I really love the on-the-pegs finds, and I especially love the non-Walmart or Target finds. The more random the better. That is why my Nova Wagon Super find in a small market in Blanding, Utah remains my favorite Super find ever. Go look up Blanding. It is remote.

And of course, finding two Supers in four days after not finding any during the first 6 months of 2016 makes the story even better. Not to mention I found this one on the day I had to duck firebombs thrown my way because I was featuring a "scalper".

Am I doing this to gloat? Not at all. I am sharing my find, which is part of the deal. This is just why I MUCH prefer the random find. It makes for a story. Think about how many times you hear the "random find" story. "The wife sent me for milk, and I wasn't even going to check the toy aisle. I am glad I did!" Or "This Walmart never stocks, but I stopped by anyway. Of all the days, it was hanging right in front!"

Supers frankly work because they are random. Some say Supers should be a mail-in. How many of you would buy 20 cars to mail the cards and a check for shipping and handling to get a Bad Mudder Super in return? Not many of you. But what if you find a Bad Mudder Super on a random stop at Target? You'd scoop it right up. Why are we seeing photos of the 2016 Boombox all of a sudden? Because it is a Super. People aren't buying Supers because of the casting or because they sit on Real Riders. If that was the case every Hot Wheels premium line would sell out in seconds. It is because you have to be lucky to find a Super.

Unless of course you make finding Supers a top priority. All you need is a strategy and a lot of nights. And if you do, more power to you.

6 comments:

I think you should be willing to part with your extras. Sounds like you're a reasonable guy and would love helping out other collectors who are not as fortunate as you. Being wheelchair bound and not able to travel as much, my finds have been way more limited than most. I have only found two supers ever in the wild. all mine others have come from online auctions and deals where i rarely find someone not wanting an arm and a leg for their items. That's almost unheard of sorry to say. And in most stores I'm either faced with large dump bins I cannot sort through (because I can't reach into them well enough) or pegs too high for even my Grip'n Grab to reach. But I do from time-to-time run into a kind, fellow-collector (like yesterday) who strikes up a conversation about our hobby, offers to look for me on the higher pegs, and makes collecting more enjoyable for me. I do like a good trade every now and again, too!

Thanks for sharing the find. Started collecting 2 months ago (still a wee baby here) and I'm still looking for my first one. Being in Indonesia where the RRP for HW Mainline is Rp 29,900 (or about USD 2.25 per today's exchange rate), I think the HW collecting landscape is a bit different here than in the US. Cheapest in-store price I've encountered so far is around the USD 1.30-1.40 mark. Most online marketplaces here offers much cheaper prices than physical stores. Still finding my way around the hobby as of now and really hoping I can find a Super soon.